Forgettable
by Groudon199
Summary: [sequel to "Unforgettable"] A couple months away from the end of the school year, and this one's been a LITTLE better than previous years. SHE still runs things, but nobody bullies me anymore, I have friends, and I'm together with my boyfriend again. So why does something feel... off? [mild language, MLPEG special "Forgotten Friendship" spoilers]
1. Camouflage

**A/N: Told from Olivia's POV, this covers the 1-hour special that aired in the United States and was later uploaded to YouTube in 5 parts.  
**

 **Full character bios are on my profile, but here is a brief summary. Told from her POV, Olivia Frost is light grey with shoulder-length brown hair, and she wears a below-the-knee prosthetic right leg (which is normally covered up) and round glasses (same size as Twilight's). Cloudflare, who goes by his nickname, is light orange with short green-blue hair.**

* * *

At the beginning of the school year, if somebody said I'd be helping Sunset Shimmer with the yearbook... Well, I wouldn't say they're _crazy._ Rather, I'd applaud them for having a more overactive imagination than Pinkie Pie.

Then toward the end of the school year, I'd accuse them of being one of the Doc's companions... or the Doc him-slash-herself.

But, well, here we are. Myself, my friends, and my boyfriend are all gathering photos for the yearbook.

It's nice to have some music going, but why does it have to be a song written _just_ for this? Eh, at least Sunset's not singing it live. I'm getting sick of Flare shutting down every breaking-into-song moment. But... I guess that's what happens when you're exposed to rapid-fire songs in a world of talking ponies, cats, birds, and hippogriffs that can turn into sea creatures while on an unexpected adventure.

"Think we should put ourselves as Class Couple anyway?" Flare asks me.

"No way," I say. "We have to include who the students voted for."

"Come on... Nobody's gonna know. What's the worst that can happen?"

"Half the students post on MyFace they were disappointed their pick didn't win, they find out almost nobody actually voted for us, they riot and burn down the school with their torched yearbooks, then they shove us through the portal to Equestria and smash what's left of the statue."

The song ends.

He rolls his eyes. "Well, when you put it like _that_..."

"Hey, you asked for the worst!"

Something falls onto the ground behind us, and there's a rustling of papers. I look back. Sunset is on the floor, as well as a green-haired girl wearing a striped sweater.

"Excuse me," she says.

"I'm sorry," Sunset says. "I didn't see you come in."

"And _I_ didn't _hear_ you come in," I say. "Then again, I _was_ talking with Flarey."

"I've been here for a while," the girl says.

Sunset picks up some of the stuff she dropped. "I... didn't realize."

"I've been trying to get your attention for, like, half the song."

Maybe if you spoke up a little.

"Ain't _she_ a quiet one," AJ whispers.

"Yeah," Rainbow quietly says, "and we know some pretty _shy_ people." She glances at Fluttershy. "Am I right?"

"We _do?_ _Who?"_

I... _hope_ she was being sarcastic.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer, president of the yearbook committee and editor-in-chief. Do you wanna join? We could always use extra help."

"I'm Wallflower Blush."

"That name..." Flare whispers.

"You know her?" I ask.

"Mmmmmaaaaybe? Her name _sorta_ rings a bell, but I don't know why."

"Anyway," Wallflower says, "I counted up all the votes for the yearbook Superlatives."

Sweet! All of us crowd around Sunset.

"Most Likely to Succeed, Best Smile, Class Clown..." She gasps. "Ooh! We won! Best Friends!" Photos of all 9 of us are on the list.

"I always knew I liked you all," Pinkie says, "but now it's official!" She squeezes us all together in a big hug. "In yearbook form! The people have spoken!"

Twilight grabs the lists. "You two are gonna like this one!" She hands the top sheet to me. The first thing on the list is Class Couple. There are photos of both myself and Flare.

"Sweet!" I show Flare the list. "We won Class Couple!"

"Alright!" He kisses me. "See? You worry for nothing."

 _"I_ was worried? _You_ wanted to put us in regardless."

He shrugs his shoulders. "Guilty as charged. I just didn't want us to lose to Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops."

"Those two? They're not a couple."

"You sure? They spend a _lot_ of time together, and half the time I've seen them they're walking with their arms linked."

"Have you seen them kiss?"

"Well, no, but some couples _don't_ kiss each other."

"If you're _so_ convinced they're dating and not just super bestest friends forever, why don't you ask them yourself?"

"Because I don't want to be slapped if I'm wrong."

Everyone gasps.

 _"Just_ the yearbook?!" Sunset yells.

AJ groans. _"Now_ ya gone and done it..."

"The student body has entrusted me with the responsibility of gathering their memories into the pages of this book. In thirty years, we might not remember everything, but we _will_ remember what's in the yearbook."

"Well," Rainbow says, "I'm entrusting you not to put us next to Best Muscles." She grabs an older yearbook, then repeatedly opens and closes it. "Every time you close the book, it'll be like we're kissing Bulk Biceps!"

"I'm with Rainbow," Flare says. "He's _quite_ the hunk, but I'd rather kiss Olivia."

 _"Aww..._ But _you two_ would make _such_ a _kee-yoot_ couple!" I say in a cutesy, overly sarcastic tone.

Pinkie picks up one of the lists. "Hmm..." She looks at it, then Flare, and back and forth a few times. "Nope. Not seeing it."

Is it _possible_ to be sarcastic enough for Pinkie to catch on?

"Why don't we take our picture at the beach on Saturday?" Rarity says. "Everyone's bound to look adorable."

Pinkie stands on the counter. "Beach day~!" She leaps off. "I'll make my world-famous fun-in-the-sun cupcakes!"

"Beach, huh?" I say to myself. "Haven't been to the beach since I was 12." As long as I don't have to go in the water –

The classroom door opens, and Trixie walks in. "The Great and Powerful Trrrixie demands to speak to the yearbook editor immediately!"

"Unfortunately for me," Sunset reluctantly says, "that's me." She walks over to Trixie. "What do you want, Trixie?"

Trixie grabs the paper from Sunset's hands and reads over it. "Ha! Just as I suspected! I was _not_ voted Grrreatest and Most Powerfullest! Explain yourself."

"How does she roll her Rs so easily?" Flare quietly asks me.

"If you know how to do it," I respond, "it's rrrrreally easy. And I haven't even practiced."

Trixie grabs one of the old yearbooks and flips through it. "Neither was Biggest Meanie, but that didn't stop you from winning it our freshman year."

She hands the book to Sunset. On the left page is a photo of Sunset in her old outfit angrily holding the camera and about to punch either it or the cameraperson, with Snips and Snails to her left laughing.

"That was different," AJ says. "The _whole school_ voted for her."

"She was _soooooooo_ mean," Pinkie says.

"Of course," Twilight says, stepping up to Sunset, "we all know you've earned the right _not_ to be remembered that way." She takes the yearbook and tosses it behind her.

"I am _so_ glad she's not like that anymore," I say.

"We _all_ are," Flare says. "But I bet _you_ are the _most_ grateful."

"Without a doubt. I don't think I'll ever forget how she nearly ruined my life. But hey, that's all in the past."

"Thanks," Sunset says. She looks at Trixie. "We're not having a Greatest and Powerfullest Superlative. Sorry."

"Oh, _you're_ the one who will be sorry, Sunset Shimmer! When you least expect it, I'll have my revenge! And then I'll disappear! Like this!" She pulls something round out of... somewhere. "Behold! The Magician's Exit!"

She throws it on the ground, causing a huge cloud of smoke to form. When it clears, Trixie is trying to open the door.

 _"Amazing_ exit, O Grrrrreat and Powerful _Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrixie!"_ I say, even more over-the-top than she does it.

Flare sighs. "Now you're just showing off."

"Allow me," Sunset says, taking the key out of her pocket. "We were actually on our way out." She unlocks and opens the door, then motions for Trixie to leave.

"Hmph!" She walks out, and all of us laugh. We leave as well.

"Ooh! Olivia, can you turn off the lights?" Sunset asks.

"Sure." I take a few steps back, reach into the room, feel around for the light switch, and flip it down.

"You could've _looked_ for the switch instead of feeling for it," Flare asks.

"Eh, I was lazy."


	2. Beach Encounter

I pull into a parking space, grab my bag, and exit the car. The beach isn't as packed as I expected. Then again, it's not the middle of summer.

I get out my phone and text Flare.

"Where u guys at?"

A minute later, I get a response.

"Far left side"

Okay, then. I put my phone away and head off in that direction.

I'm wearing a light blue tank top, short dark grey shorts - stopping at the first knuckles of my middle fingers with my arms at my sides - and the socks and shoes I normally wear. Every time I went to the beach before my accident, I wore either sandals or water shoes. My prosthesis doesn't have a slit for a sandal strap, and I'm not going in the water, so I have to wear normal shoes.

I recognize a few students from school, but they don't notice me. Not that that's been a concern since returning, but with _her_ running things, I still get nervous. Thankfully, I don't see _her_ anywhere.

I spot Twilight messing with a drone. AJ and Flare are watching her, while Rarity and Rainbow are looking at several white beach towels laid out on the sand.

"Hey, all!" I say. "Is that the selfie drone?" I ask Twilight.

"Uh-huh," she says, trying to keep the drone from flying off. "It hovers into position whenever it detects a selfie opportunity."

"Still not sure why you wouldn't just take it yourselfie."

"I already used that one," AJ says.

"Well, _I_ wasn't here, 'kay?" And I thought I was being clever...

"Yeah, but you gotta admit," Flare says, "it's much better than seeing a selfie stick at the bottom of every photo. _And_ you can do full-body selfies without a mirror." He walks over to me. He's wearing red swim trunks and a white short-sleeved shirt.

"Eh, I guess you have a point."

He kisses me. "Not what I expected, but you look great."

"Thanks. It's not exactly beach clothing, but even a one-piece swimsuit would've looked strange with knee-length socks. And with _her_ still around, I'm in no hurry to show off my prosthesis to the world."

"That's too bad. I was kinda hoping you'd wear a cute swimsuit."

"And _I_ was hoping you wouldn't be wearing a shirt," I say with a bit of sarcasm. "We can't always get what we want." I mean, it would've been _nice_...

 _"Ocean monster!"_ Pinkie suddenly yells.

I look in that direction. Pinkie and Spike are running away from... something that _does_ kinda look like a monster.

Or it's just Fluttershy wearing a sheet of some kind. She takes it off.

"Quincy the sea turtle says the tide's coming in. We should take the picture soon or risk having damp ankles."

"Wetsuit, huh?" I say to Flare.

"It suits her," he says. "She doesn't like drawing attention to herself, so she wears the least revealing beachwear."

Twilight's drone flies over to us. I smile and put an arm behind Flare's neck, and he puts an arm around my waist. It then flies over to Rarity.

"So it flies around on its own?" I ask.

"Twilight's an evil genius," Flare says.

It flies away from her and nearly hits somebody else.

"Oh. Twilight! You got the selfie sensor working?" Well, it was fun while it lasted.

"Speaking of evil..." Flare says in a hushed tone.

I get behind Flare, trying to stay out of _her_ view as much as I can.

The drone flies back to Twilight and hides behind her. I wonder if she had to program it to run away from _her_.

"O...kay," Sunset Shimmer says. "So, who's ready to take a Best Friends picture?"

This is... unlike her. She never wants to do anything with anybody. Unless she's trying to sabotage what they're doing. I peek out from behind him.

"Uh-oh, what did I do?" she says, crossing her arms, narrowing her eyes, and grinning.

I _really_ hate that expression. It's the same one she had when she confronted me on my first day back at CHS.

"Should... we do it _now,_ or... do you want to swim first? How's the water?"

"Sunset Shimmer?" AJ says. "Asking to be in _our_ Best Friends picture? _Now_ I've heard it all!"

"Am... I missing the joke here?"

"The only _joke_ here," Rarity says, "is whatever _this_ is you're playing on us, acting all nice like you're our friend."

"And it's _not_ funny," Fluttershy says, hiding behind AJ.

"'Cause you _aren't_ nice!" Rainbow says.

"And we _ain't_ friends!" AJ says.

"Wait... What?!" Shimmer says... surprised?

"You got applesauce in your ears?" AJ says, pointing at her. "I said, we ain't fr–whoa!"

Shimmer grabs her wrist and her eyes go white. Not opening her eyelids wide, but _literally_ completely white. It's... kinda scary, and not in the way she normally is.

A few seconds later, they return to normal. She lets go of AJ and gasps. "It's like I've been... erased!"

Uh... "Erased?" I quietly say. What is she talking about?

* * *

"Pinkie Pie, what about when I came to your sleepovers before and after the Battle of the Bands?"

"Ha! The closest _you've_ ever come to a party of mine is freshman year, when you _pretended_ to be Applejack and texted me, 'Yer party is lamer than a hungry duck in snow boots'."

"Like I'd ever say _that,"_ AJ says.

"What does that even mean?" Flare asks.

"It doesn't mean anythin'."

"It... _really_ hurt my feelings..." Pinkie says.

"And it wasn't very nice to the ducks, either," Fluttershy says.

"I imagine the ducks were just as confused as I am," Flare says.

"That was a long time ago!" Shimmer says. She grabs Flare's arm, eyes going white again for a couple seconds. "No, no, no! Flare, you asked me out after the Friendship Games! We kissed at Camp Everfree!"

"Why the hell would I _ever_ date some _pony_ who made my best friend so miserable," Flare angrily says, "she had to transfer to _Crystal Prep_ , of all places?! If it weren't for these girls, I'd _still_ be everybody's target! And I'd rather make out with _Trixie_ again than kiss _you!"_ Could've worded that better.

From how panicked she sounds, I don't think she's lying...

She looks at Twilight. "Twilight! You remember me, right? We've been through so much together! Please..." Is she... about to cry?

"I only met you once, when you yelled at me at the Games."

"Olivia?!"

...But I'm the only girlfriend Flare has ever had. "What they said."

"Doesn't anybody remember that I've changed?!"

Maybe in _her_ mind, not being feared quite as much anymore counts as changing, but she's still just as mean.

"Maybe not any _body._ Be right back!" She runs away.

 _"Don't_ hurry back, darling!" Rarity yells.

Flare pulls me into a hug. "It's okay now."

I sigh. "I _wish_ I didn't become a nervous wreck every time I see her."

"It's okay," Rainbow says. "As long as we're here, you have nothing to worry about."

I don't _want_ to rely on all of them, though. It makes me feel helpless, like I'm some delicate flower that needs constant protection. I'm not like that anymore.

Flare and I separate. "Now that the inaugural Biggest Meanie is gone," he asks me, "what do you wanna do?"

"Uh..." After Sunset Shimmer's surprise appearance, I don't really feel like doing anything right now.

* * *

 *****First day back at CHS*****

 _I stop at my locker, open it, put one of my books inside, and put a couple others in my backpack. "It feels so strange being back at CHS, especially with nobody making fun of me anymore. It's kinda refreshing." I grab my backpack and close the locker._

 _Someone chuckles behind me. I... recognize that laugh. I slowly turn around. Sunset Shimmer is standing there, arms crossed, with a sly grin._

 _"Uh.. H-hey, Sunset," I nervously say. "Long time no see."_

 _"Returning to the school that shunned you? You've got guts, Cripple. I can respect that."_

 _"You're... You're not gonna break me so easily this time."_

 _"Don't worry." She moves a hand to the hair behind my right shoulder, causing me to tense up. "I'm not interested in ruining you again. You'll do a good job of that on your own."_

 _"Wh-what are you talking about?" I could sure go for my friends showing up right about now._

 _She starts playing with a few strands of my hair. "The students here don't like the Shadowbolts. What do you suppose they'll think of a traitor?"_

 _"They d-drove me away! They're not gonna care I went to a rival school."_

 _"You were on Crystal Prep's team for the Friendship Games, were you not?"_

 _"Yeah, and so was Twilight. If sh-she's not gonna be teased, neither will I."_

 _She moves her hand away and shrugs her shoulders. "Suit yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you." She walks away._

 _I see_ _ **somebody**_ _hasn't changed. Although Flare told me the students don't take as much of her crap as they used to._

* * *

 *****Present day*****

Flare and I are lying on a couple beach towels, with me cuddling up to him. Lying on my side, my right hand is resting on his chest, and his right hand is on my waist. Ever since he said he loved me a few weeks ago, this has become my favorite thing to do with him. We try not to overdo it in public, sticking to hand holding, hugging, and at most a couple quick kisses, and saving the sappiness for when we're at his house or mine.

"We've been out here a while," Pinkie says, holding a cupcake. "Time to reapply~!" She smears the icing on her arms, legs, and face. Uh... What?

"Did she just..." Flare starts to say.

"I'm... fairly certain icing doesn't offer UV protection," I say.

 _"This_ icing does!" Pinkie says. She leans over to me. "It's edible sunscreen," she whispers.

E... Edi...

"Well... Now I'm _glad_ I didn't have a big breakfast today," Flare says. I've probably lost my appetite for the day.

"I've been thinking," Twilight says. "Should we be worried about Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yeah, _worried_ she comes back!" Trixie? When did _she_ get here? I look in her direction, but Rarity and her chair are blocking my view, and I don't feel like separating from Flare _just_ yet. "I think it's a shame the way she's treating you, pretending to be your friend." She loudly whispers, "She's _obviously_ up to something." Yeah... Up to something... "Sunset thinks the whole school exists just to serve her." I hear her snap her fingers. "Water, please." Thing is, Shimmer has _never_ done that before. I mean yeah, she used Flash to make herself more popular and tried to sabotage Princess Twilight's bid for Fall Formal princess, but pretending to be our friend doesn't benefit her in _any_ way. "You know, seeing as how the yearbook president seems to be having a little identity crisis, I believe that means the vice president takes over. And, why..." She gasps. "That's _you,_ Rarity!"

"If this is your way of asking to be made 'The Greatest and Most Powerful'," Rarity says, "the answer is no! And didn't we have this conversation yesterday? I can't quite remember."

Uh... Hmm... I... _sorta_ recall something to that extent? Flare and I were voted Class Couple, then... Um... Wait... What _did_ happen next?

"Maybe we did, maybe we didn't," Trixie says. "Memory is such a fickle thing. You never know _when_ you'll forget _something_ important, like how Great and Powerful _I_ am, which is why I _need_ to be in the yearbook!"

Rarity groans. "I'll _think_ about it."

"That's all I ask." She walks over to us. "By the way, 'FrostFlare'," she says with finger quotes, "do you two know _why_ you were voted Class Couple?"

"Nnnnnnnooooo..." Flare says, "and does it really matter?"

"I suppose not. I just thought you'd like to know the _entire_ school feels bad for how they treated you, and that's why they voted for you."

"So?" I say. "I already figured as much, but like Flarey said, it doesn't matter."

"Even if we _didn't_ win the pity vote," Flare says, "it wouldn't change how much we love each other." We kiss.

"And we don't need our photos in a book to remember that." I look at Flare. "So if Lyra and Sweetie _were_ voted Class Couple, you _wouldn't_ have been jealous?"

"Well, I would've been a _little_ disappointed."

"Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops?" Pinkie asks. "Those two aren't dating."

"Told you!" I say.

"What? Of course they are!" Flare says. "Have you _seen_ how much time they spend together?"

"All of us spend time together every day," Twilight says, "but we're not going out with each other."

 _"We_ don't lock our arms together everywhere we go."

"Neither do you and I," I say.

"Well. uh... mmm... maybe..." He sighs. "Never mind. Not gonna finish that thought."

* * *

 *****Camp Everfree*****

 _"Okay, everyone!" Gloriosa says. "It's time to watch your lanterns fly!"_

 _I stand up and grab my lantern, which has various horizontal color stripes on it: Yellow, white, blue, pink, purple, red, and light orange. The orange stripe is slightly wider than the others and in the middle of the lantern. I walk over to Flare. His lantern is red with cutouts of different parts of a drumkit on it._

 _He looks at me, then my lantern. "That's an... interesting design."_

 _"It's not supposed to be fashionable. Each color represents the friends I've made in the past month." I point to the orange stripe. "This one's you."_

 _"Why is it wider than the others?"_

 _"Because you were my first friend in years. Probably my best friend ever."_

 _"I mean_ _ **that**_ _much to you?"_

 _"Of course. You were the_ _ **only**_ _person who wanted anything to do with me." I sigh. "If only you were in my school when I lost my leg..." I probably could've had somebody to talk to that_ _ **didn't**_ _keep asking about it..._ _ **and**_ _I wouldn't have gone through all that crap with Sunset Shimmer._

 _"Ready..." Gloriosa says. "And... Go!"_

 _We all release our lanterns into the sky. They all stay airborne, except for Pinkie's, which crashes to the ground from the weight of all the marshmallows._

 _"Aw... Oh well! Now I get to eat it!" She grabs a couple marshmallows and shoves them into her mouth. "Yup. Beautiful and delicious."_

 _I look at Flare. Every time there's a moment like this, I'm kicking myself for not making a move on him. Unfortunately, I_ _ **can't**_ _make a move on him. I need to wait for_ _ **him**_ _to ask_ _ **me**_ _out. He's made it clear he doesn't want to get back together, but I'm_ _ **hoping**_ _he changes his mind._

* * *

 *****Present day*****

"I'm not holding back this time!" Rainbow yells.

"That's what I'm afraid of...!" Fluttershy says, scared. I'm kinda surprised she's playing against Rainbow, of all people.

"Bring it on, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie says. She pulls the net down. "You and Rarity just bought your team a one-way ticket on the express train to _you're going down!"_ That's one... hell of a game face.

"And I thought _Rainbow_ was scary when she got competitive," Flare says.

"Eh, Rainbow's not _that_ scary," I say.

"Well, maybe not _scary_ , but she _is_ intimidating."

"Isn't that right, little baby camera?!" Pinkie grabs Twilight's drone. "You're in _my_ house _now!"_ The drone flies over to Twilight, then Spike starts chasing it.

"Twilight programmed it to have emotions?" I ask. "I thought that only happened in sci-fi shows and movies. Talk about weird science."

"Weird Twi-ence?" Flare says.

"Weird –" I chuckle. "Well, she's got magic from the hands."

"Voodoo dolls and chants?"

"That would be _too_ weird."

Rainbow serves the ball. Fluttershy cowers, and the ball bounces off her head. Pinkie leaps and attempts to hit the ball back, but it ricochets off the net and smacks her in the face... then flies over the net. Rainbow runs back to return it, but it goes over her head and hits the ground as she falls onto her back.

"Wonder if that was intentional," I ask Flare.

"Knowing Pinkie, it probably was."

"Great news, guys." And... she's back. "I figured it out! Someone erased your memory with Equestrian magic! You don't remember, but we're still friends!"

"She's _still_ going on about that, huh?" Flare whispers.

Shimmer gets a piece of paper out of her bag. "This is the memory stone. Do you recognize it?"

Flare stands up. I do the same, hiding behind him like before, but looking over his shoulder. There's a drawing of... something oval-shaped with an eye on it. I think I've seen a commercial for a toy like that.

"Uh... Right, guess not." She puts it away and gets out her phone. "But look. See?" She scrolls through several pictures of us... with her? "This is proof! We _are_ friends!"

I mean... She _does_ have photos, even though I _know_ she wasn't with us when they were taken.

Everyone else doesn't sound too certain.

"Ah, _please..._ " Oh right, Trixie's here. _"This_ is the girl who made flawless, fake photos of your friend trashing the gym!"

Pinkie grabs the phone. "Yeah, wait a minute... Is that supposed to be _me_ making such a ridiculous face?" She shows the phone to Shimmer. "Ha! I'd _never_ make a face like _that!"_ She makes a... pretty ridiculous-looking face at Shimmer. "Preposterous! Fake, I say!" You _always_ make ridiculous faces in your selfies, Pinkie. But yeah, faking the photos makes a lot of sense.

Trixie laughs. "My work here is done! Trixie... _out!"_ She throws one of her smoke bombs on the ground. When it clears, she's on the stairs at the back while Snips and Snails, who were carrying her stuff, are standing where they were before and dropped everything. "And don't forget, Rarity! You promised to put me in the yearbook!"

"Wait, you did _what?"_ Shimmer takes a step back and stumbles on the volleyball. She staggers back, stepping on Twilight's drone.

Twilight gasps and runs over to it.

"Yeah. _Nice_ , huh?" Flare says to me.

"It was an accident!" Shimmer says. "I can help fix it!"

"I think you've _helped_ enough..." Twilight says.

She looks at us... concerned? What is going on with her? It sounded like she actually regretted breaking the drone. Normally she's hella sarcastic with her apologies, but that was the most sincere she's ever been about anything.

* * *

I remove my prosthesis, turn off the light, lie down on my bed, and pull the blanket over me.

This has been a bizarre weekend. Sunset Shimmer acted _completely_ out-of-character. When she fakes being nice, it's _very_ easy to tell, but there was none of that this time. She also said someone used Equestrian magic to make us forget she's our friend. Could that _really_ be true? If it is, then either there should be a gap in my memory or something doesn't make sense. Let's see...

Friendship Games, the girls were able to stop Twilight from going magic crazy. Camp Everfree, Twilight and I stumbled across the cave with the geodes, and Twilight worked out what Gloriosa was doing. Mirror thing with Juniper, Starlight was able to talk Juniper out of –

Wait... How did we contact Starlight? Princess Twilight doesn't keep the portal open 24/7, she almost never visits, and we can't exactly text her when we have a problem. I mean, _maybe_ Starlight wanted to check out this world and the princess left the portal open, but that would be a little _too_ convenient. Then again, a _lot_ of the magic stuff that's happened this school year has been pretty convenient. Is there something else...?

Hmm... Sunset Shimmer showed us some photos on her phone. If those are real and what she said is true...

I grab my phone and go to my photos. I tap the first one and scroll through them. Selfie, selfie, selfie with Flare and I lying on his bed... Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie? Sunset and I posing with her wearing my glasses... Sunset, Flare, and I... Why is she in all of these? Sunset jamming with the rest of the Rainbooms, Sunset at a sleepover with everyone in PJs, Sunset and the rest of them ponied up...

"Was she... telling the truth?" The fact that those pictures are on _my_ phone makes her story at least _somewhat_ believable. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll try to ask her about it tomorrow." If I can overcome my fear of being around her.


	3. Face Your Fears

I walk through the front doors of the school. As usual, Flare is standing next to the entrance.

"Morning, Liv," he says with a smile.

"Flaaaaaarey!" We kiss.

His smile fades slightly. "You okay?"

"Um... What do you mean?"

"You seem a little tense."

Guess I can't hide _everything_ from him. I was really hoping he wouldn't notice. "Well, Sunset Shimmer's still around, and after what happened this weekend..." I'm still trying to work up the nerve to approach Sunset, but I can't tell Flare about it.

He sighs. "I didn't want to say this in front of the others. You need to stop living in fear of her."

Uh... I _hope_ I misheard him. "Excuse me...?"

"You've been back at CHS for a few months. Except for the day you came back, Sunset Shimmer hasn't directly confronted you at all. You don't need to keep hiding from her."

He's joking, right? "Sorry I can't just _forget_ everything she's done like you can!" I sarcastically say, annoyed.

"I haven't _forgotten_ anything. I just don't worry about what she _might_ do 24/7 and rely on others to protect me!"

"I don't _want_ to rely on others!" Now I'm getting mad. "I _hate_ being dependent on all of you! I'd love nothing more than to snap my fingers and have the 'magic of friendship' make all my fears go away. Until then, I guess I'll keep being a burden to you."

"I... Olivia, that's not what I –"

"See you at lunch, I guess." I walk away from him.

"Liv, wait..."

Where the hell did _that_ come from all of a sudden? He _knows_ it's not easy for me to get over my fear after all I've been through. And why did he choose _now_ to tell me? This is the kind of thing I would've liked to hear as soon as he had concerns. I know he doesn't think I'm a burden, but it sure as hell sounded like it!

He wants me to stop being afraid? In that case, I've made up my mind. No matter how much I want to reconsider, I _will_ talk to Sunset Shimmer today and confront my fear head-on!

* * *

In the cafeteria, I sit at the table my friends are at... on the opposite end from Flare.

"You're not sitting next to Flare today?" Twilight asks.

"We had an argument this morning," I say.

 _"You two?"_ Pinkie says in surprise. "But you're, like, the _perfect_ couple!"

"No relationship is perfect, Pinkie," Rarity says.

"What was the argument about?" Twilight asks.

"Nothing that concerns any of you," Flare says. "I said something I probably shouldn't have, and now she's not talking to me."

Something to my left catches my attention. I look that way. Sunset Shimmer is sitting at a table. Trixie is next to her. "Huh..."

"What is it?" Fluttershy asks.

"Since when did Sunset Shimmer and Trixie become friends?"

"That _is_ a little strange," Applejack says, "'specially after how Trixie acted over the weekend."

"I bet she somehow fooled Trixie into believing she's not mean," Rainbow says.

Fooled, huh...? I wonder if she... No, I doubt it. She might be able to fool _me,_ but she can't fool the photos on my phone. And thanks to Flare's outburst, I'm even more determined to get to the bottom of this. If she _is_ nice, that means there was a time when I _wasn't_ afraid on a daily basis.

How... How many of my memories are a lie? My phone hints they go as far back as Camp Everfree, but what if it's even further? Maybe she didn't reveal my missing leg to the school. Man, I would do _anything_ to go back and change that. Although that's what drew Flare to me...

Is... our relationship a fake memory, too? I can't see myself being apart from him, but if we never met in the first place... And Sunset _did_ say the two of them were dating at one point...

No... No, that's silly! Flare and I _are_ together! My phone proves it!

"Olivia?" Twilight gets my attention.

"Huh?"

"Are you alright? You've been staring at those two for a while."

"Uh... Yeah, I'm fine. I was just... thinking about some stuff."

With my friends here, there's no way I'm talking to her right now. Even though Flare wants me to get over being afraid, he'll probably stop me anyway. I don't feel like getting into an argument with him twice in one day.

* * *

The drone clicks, taking our Best Friends picture outside of the school. Not how we planned to take it, but it's better than nothing.

"Hey, Liv?" Flare says to me. "Look, I'm... I'm sorry about what I said this morning."

I sigh. I guess we had to talk about that eventually. "I mean, you weren't wrong. I _do_ need to get over living in constant fear of her. I _wish_ it was easy for me."

"I _know_ it's tough for you, and I shouldn't have said you rely on us to protect you. I didn't mean to imply you're a being a burden."

"So why did you bring it up in the first place?"

"Uh..." He hesitates. "I, uh..."

"I promise I won't get mad this time."

"You sure?"

"Just spit it out, already."

He sighs. "Okay. I'll just come out and say it. If it was just you and me, I could understand still being so afraid, but you have six other friends here at CHS. I've seen you become more outgoing over the past few months because of them, yet every time you so much as _see_ Sunset Shimmer, you clam up and hide behind me. I guess what you said this morning was the breaking point."

Huh... Seems we _both_ don't like how cowardly I've been acting.

I suppose now, there's no harm in telling him.

"I actually... _wasn't_ bothered by her this morning."

"You... weren't?"

"I didn't want to tell you what I was really thinking because I knew you wouldn't like it. Last night, I was thinking about the stuff she said at the beach."

"About somebody supposedly erasing our memories of her being nice?"

"Yeah. I have photos on my phone that would only exist if what she said was true. I'm not entirely convinced, which is why I wanted to ask her about it today."

"You were afraid I'd stop you."

I nod. "I knew you wouldn't let me out of your sight. But, now that I know you want me to stop being afraid of her..."

He sighs. "I _really_ want to say no and not give Sunset Shimmer _any_ chance to do something to you. But after what I just said, I know that's not an option." He pulls me into a hug. "Promise me you'll be careful."

I return the embrace. "I promise."

We kiss. "If things go south, get out of there. I don't want you getting hurt trying to prove yourself."

"Don't worry. I don't have anything to prove. I just want to ask her a few questions, then leave. If anything happens, hopefully Trixie has my back." As far as I'm concerned, Trixie owes me for what she did a couple months ago.

"Alright. Guess I'll leave you to it." We separate. "Do you know where she is?"

I check my phone. It's 2:55 PM. "Probably in the yearbook room."

"Okay. I'm a call or text away if you need me."

I smile, then head for the front doors.

* * *

I reach the door to the yearbook room and look through the window. Sunset is inside, along with her new BFF Trixie.

My heart is racing. This is exactly what I was worried about. Now that I'm here, I don't want to go through with it. Every instinct is telling me to turn back. It's easy enough to _say_ you're going to do something, but when the time comes, it's like there's an invisible barrier that you can't find the strength to push through.

Those photos, though... and how she acted at the beach...

I take a deep breath. I gave Flare my word I'd face my fear, and I intend to keep it no matter how much I think it's a terrible idea. Just get it over with. I knock on the door, then slowly open it and peek inside. "Um... He-Hello?"

"Olivia? What are you doing here?" Sunset asks.

"I..." Come on, girl. "I, uh..." You worked up the nerve to come here and open the damn door. Just say it! "I... thought about what you s-said over the weekend. A couple of my... m-memories don't make sense, and you're in some of the pics on my phone." I slowly step into the room. "Even though I'm... practically _petrified_ to be around you..." My heart is pounding even faster.

She's sneaking over to... a green-haired girl sitting at the computer to my right. How did I not notice her when I looked inside? She grabs the girl's wrist.

"What are you –"

Sunset's eyes go white for a second, and the girl stands up. Sunset's eyes return to normal after a few seconds, then she lets go. _"You_ erased everyone's memories?"

"Uh..." The girl hesitates for a moment. "Yes."

So... "Sunset was right?" I say to myself. She actually _is_ nice?

"Wait..." Trixie says. "Who are you, again?"

The girl walks over to the computer next to her and picks something up. I think it's a photo, but I can't see what it is from here.

 _"You don't see me fitting in"_

Singing, huh? Complete with backing music, as always.

 _"I'm sitting here alone"_

I wish I knew where the music keeps coming from. Her phone isn't out, and she doesn't have one of those Lexis devices.

 _"Right beside my shadow  
Always on my own"_

Maybe the computer...?

 _"If I could share my wildest dreams"_

She walks away from it. I sneak over and sit down. I look at the programs open in the taskbar. No media player. I grab one of the speakers and hold it to my ear. Nothing. It actually sounds like it's coming from _her._ I stand up and turn around.

 _"I'm invisible  
Invis-i-ble  
It's like I don't exist"_

I would've _loved_ to be invisible after Sunset ruined my life.

As she continues singing, she shuts off the computer monitor and walks over to a bookshelf. I notice Sunset in the corner of my eye walking over to me. I look at her, then follow her gaze. She's looking at the girl's backpack. She quickly glances at the girl, then grabs the backpack. She hides behind the counter in the middle of the room.

 _"A memory forgotten  
Until the end of time"_

The girl walks back to the computers and spots Sunset.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

She grabs one of the backpack straps and is able to yank it away from Sunset.

"What did I do to you?!" Sunset says. "Honestly, I don't even _know_ you!"

"Exactly!" Uh... What? "You had everyone fooled, but now they know you're still... the Biggest Meanie!"

"You're about to see how mean I can get!" Sunset says in her usual tone. Yeah, not seeing the niceness.

"Whoa!" Trixie stops her. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Let's not antagonize the person with the all-powerful mystery rock."

"I don't like confrontation," the girl says. She rummages through her backpack. "Let's just..." She pulls out some sort of rock. "... _forget_ this ever happened!" It glows green.

The designs on it look like Sunset's –

"Don't erase –"

* * *

Mmm... What... just happened? Where am I?

Someone sighs. "What was I saying?" That sounds like Trixie. "I'm sure it was something brilliant." I look around. It looks like I'm in the yearbook room. "Also," Trixie says with a gasp, "how is it already 3:00?"

And... Sunset's here, too...

She looks at me. "Olivia? When did _you_ get here?"

No no no! I'm not ready! "Oh.. I-I, uh..." I can't do this. I gotta get out of here! "Sorry! Sorry! Wrong room! I-I'll just... I gotta go." I quickly walk over to the door and turn the knob. It won't budge. "What the... Locked?!" Very bad! "No no no no!" I keep turning the knob and trying to pull the door open. "I _can't_ be locked in here with _her!"_

"Calm down, Frost," Trixie says.

I glare at her. "Don't tell me to calm down, Lulamoon! You _know_ how she ruined my life!" I glance at Sunset, then back to Trixie. "What are you two even _doing_ here, anyway?"

"Uh... Hey, Sunset? What _are_ we doing here?"

"I... don't remember," Sunset says.

I take a few deep breaths. "Get a grip, Olivia," I say to myself. "If what she said is true, you have nothing to fear. Besides, Flare made it perfectly clear this morning you need to stop being afraid. Just ask her and get it over with." I turn around and look at Sunset. "So, uh... Su-Sunset Shimmer... What... What did you mean when you said someone erased our memories?"

"Remember the drawing of the Memory Stone I showed you over the weekend? Somebody used the Stone to erase everyone's memories of me being nice. We need to figure out who, but we only have a few hours until it'll be too late to restore them."

And with the door locked...

"How are we supposed to catch someone who can erase our memory every time we get close to catching them?" Trixie says. She walks over to me. "I didn't expect _you_ to believe her," she whispers. "I saw you hiding behind your boyfriend at the beach."

"She's in some of the pics on my phone. I kinda _have_ to believe her now."

"By being clever!" Sunset says.

"Yeah, by being – Wait..."

"I wrote myself a note!" She's holding a strip of paper. "'Check the video'." The... video?

She runs to the island table in the middle of the room and picks up a drone that's sitting on it. Is that Twilight's drone?

"Yes!" She picks up the drone's controller. "It's been recording this whole time!"

"Twilight's camera?" Trixie asks. "What are you talking about?"

When did Twilight drop that off? Weren't we supposed to take a Best Friends picture this afternoon with it?

"I don't remember doing it," Sunset says, "but I must have realized our memories would get erased, so I pressed record!"

"Ah!" That _was_ pretty clever. "Clever girl," I say with an accent. Still can't believe people openly talk about that series.

She starts rewinding the footage.

"This is like a real-life Doc Who episode!" I say.

"The one with the Silent?" Trixie asks.

Trixie knows about that? "Yeah, that one. Without the risk of being disintegrated, anyway."

"That only happened to the first woman. As long as _I_ don't meet them first, I'll be fine."

I hope she's not implying _I_ would meet them first. "I didn't know you liked Doc Who."

"There are a _lot_ of things you don't know about me. Trixie doesn't share her interests with just _anybody!"_

"So what makes _me_ so special? Is it because you made out with my boyfriend?"

"I told you that was _Gilda's_ idea!"

I smirk. "You couldn't satisfy his needs, anyway."

She scoffs. "Says _you!_ If he hadn't fallen for you last summer, Flare and I would be inseparable by now. _We'd_ be in the yearbook as Greatest and Powerfullest Couple!"

I chuckle. Flare said there's no way he'd fall for her.

The video stops rewinding, and Sunset presses play.

 _"That's my garden."_ Trixie is standing on the left, Sunset on the right, and a green-haired girl is sitting at the computer.

"Who's that?" Trixie asks.

"Wallflower Blush," Sunset says.

"Name's not ringing a bell."

"Wallflower..." Hmm... "I... feel like I've heard that name recently." Whoever erased everyone's memories probably erased _that_ , too.

 _"You don't see me fitting in"_

Singing?

"Ugh..." Trixie fast-forwards through the song. I _also_ didn't know she hates when people break into song. Sounds like the _only_ thing she and Flare have in common. "Long song, huh?" She stops fast-forwarding.

 _"What did I do to you?!"_ recorded Sunset says. _"Honestly, I don't even_ _ **know**_ _you!"_

 _"Exactly!"_ recorded Wallflower says. Uh... What? _"You had everyone fooled, but now they know you're still... the Biggest Meanie!"_

 _"You're about to see how mean I can get!"_ recorded Sunset says in her usual tone. Doesn't _sound_ like she's changed.

Sunset pauses the video.

"She's kinda right about you," Trixie says.

* * *

Sunset sighs. "At least when the sun goes down and everyone hates me forever, I'll still have _one_ friend in the morning." She looks at me. "Or two?"

I... I don't know... "I'll have to sleep on it." I need some time to think it over. After the last couple days, I believe that she's not _as_ mean anymore. I _could_ give it a shot. I mean, I pushed past my fears to talk to her. However, keeping it a secret from the other girls would be tough. Hell, keeping _Flare_ in the dark would be nearly impossible. He knows about keeping a friendship secret from everybody, so no doubt he'll pick up on it pretty quickly. Telling me to get over my fear of her is one thing, but becoming her friend? I don't think he'll like that.

"I understand." She looks at Trixie and walks over to her. "Well... my one friend _is_ the Greatest and Powerfullest CHS has to offer, so I guess I can't complain."

"You poor fool! You actually believed me when I was pretending to give up?" Trixie seems like the easiest person in school to manipulate. Just cater to her huge ego. I wonder if the Trixie in Equestria is the same way. "Behold! The Magician's Exit!" She throws a smoke bomb on the ground. When it clears, she's nowhere to be found. "Yes! It worked! I finally did it!" Outside the door?! How the hell did she do _that?!_ I'm 99% sure she didn't install any trap doors in this room.

Sunset knocks on the window. "Still in here!"

"Um..." I hear Trixie nervously chuckle. "All part of the trick! Have you out in a jiffy." Smoke fills the area around Sunset, and when it clears, Trixie's in her spot. I can see Sunset outside now. Trixie throws several smoke bombs, swapping their positions each time. Does Trixie have, like, the Geode of Illusion now?

"You know what?" Trixie says, inside the room. "Just leave me in here. Just go!"

"I owe you one, Trixie!" Sunset says. "I will _never_ forget this." Forgetting is all everyone's been doing lately.

"Never say never!"

"Say, Trixie..." I say. "Think you can magic me out of here, too?"

She turns around. "Uh... I'm kinda... out of smoke bombs."

I sigh. "Of course..." I sit in one of the computer chairs. "How did you do that, anyway?

She chuckles. "A great magician _never_ reveals her secrets!"

"You blurted out a Doc Who reference without a second thought."

She crosses her arms. "Secrets to my _tricks,_ one-leg."

I glare at her. You _really_ went there?

She uncrosses them. "Sorry."

...

"So..." I say. "You're a fan?"


	4. Aftermath

"He wasn't _bad,"_ I say. "He just didn't stick around for long."

"Okay, so who do _you_ think was the worst?"

"Uh..." I never really thought about it. "Well... I haven't seen the old stuff, so..." I sigh. "I guess if I had to pick from the revival seasons, I have to agree with you. But again, I don't think he was bad."

...!

I...

I gasp. "I remember now!"

"You, too?"

"Uh-huh." All my memories of Sunset just came rushing back to me. "I guess they defeated Wallflower." And... probably forgave her. I sigh. Why do they have to be so forgiving... "At least everything's back to normal. I don't understand how simply not doing nice things for her was enough to get her to hate Sunset _that_ much."

"Now that you mention it, her actions _were_ a little extreme. I could see _you_ doing something like that, but not Wallflower."

"Ehh... I don't think so. If _I_ got my hands on that Memory Stone, I'd just use it to make everybody forget about my missing leg. Except Flarey, obviously. Making Sunset suffer wouldn't change anything. Just look at Flare. He kept getting teased after the Fall Formal." Speaking of... I sigh. "I can't believe I got in an argument with him this morning..."

"What happened?"

* * *

"I see..." Trixie says.

"To be honest, I don't think I _ever_ would've gotten over my fear if Sunset hadn't changed. And after today, I wonder if my relationship with Flare would've lasted."

"Every relationship has its challenges. I doubt something like that would've been enough to drive you two apart. I've seen how much you two love each other."

"I know. It's just this was the first time I've gotten so mad at him." Aside from Camp Everfree, but that was because of Flare's siren power. I shake my head. "Enough about that." I'd really like to forget those fake memories. "Are there any other sci-fi shows you watch? Midnight Zone, Weirder Things, Space Trek..."

"I'm not really a sci-fi geek. Midnight Zone if it's on TV and there's nothing else to watch, never heard of Weirder Things, never watched Space Trek."

"I think you'll like Weirder Things. It puts more of an emphasis on the supernatural and horror than Doc Who, but if you could make it through _that..._ "

"It _did_ have some creepy moments. How scary are we talking?"

"There are a few disturbing scenes, especially in the second season, and like a handful of jumpscares. You can probably handle it. Then again, I thought Flare could handle it."

"He didn't like it?"

I chuckle. "No, he _sorta_ liked it. I knew he was a total wuss when it comes to horror, but I didn't think it was as bad as it is." I hear the door open. _"He_ was clinging to _me_ during the scary parts instead of the other way around, and these weren't even scream-in-fright levels of terror!"

"Dare I ask what you're telling her?" Flare has entered the room. I look at him. He closes the door behind him.

"Just how you can't handle the _weird_ things in a TV show," Trixie says.

"Weird things...?" His eyes go wide for a second. "Oh, that. Look, I wasn't _that_ scared, okay?"

I walk over to him. "Oh, please! What about when..." I whisper to him one of the disturbing parts.

 _"One_ time. How could anyone _not_ be frightened by that sight?"

I whisper another part.

"I don't like that kinda thing, alright? It's why I can't sit through zombie movies." He sighs. "Can we not talk about this? I don't want _everyone_ to know I need my girlfriend to protect me from scary movies," he whispers.

I chuckle. "Fair enough."

He looks at Trixie. "Huh?"

I look at her. She's gone. "Guess she left already."

"Didn't want to stick around, I bet."

I look at him. "So I assume you and the girls defeated Wallflower?"

"Well, more like we destroyed the Memory Stone, but yeah." He gets his phone out. "New outfits and everything." He scrolls through something on it, then shows it to me.

It's a picture of all of them ponied and sirened up. The girls' outfits are as fancy as ever. Flare's is... red. Like, bright red. "Nice suit, Polly."

He sighs. "Yeah... I don't know why going super siren keeps giving me lawyer clothes."

"At least you're out of male defense attorneys to cosplay as."

"That's true. Now I can move on to prosecutors. I'm looking forward to being dolled up in a _purple_ suit next time," he says sarcastically.

"Or detectives, pal!"

He chuckles.

I notice Wallflower is in the picture as well. "You're all friends with her now?"

"What can I say? We forgive _everybody_ , it seems."

Not surprising at this point. "So what happened when Sunset confronted her?"

"Uh... well... I..."

Why the hesitating?

He sighs. "Before I tell you, you need to promise me you won't get mad."

Huh? "Why would I get mad?"

"Promise me!"

"Okay, okay! I promise I won't get mad."

"Pinkie Promise you won't do anything to her!"

A _Pinkie_ Promise? Now I'm not sure if I _want_ to know. "Fine. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," I say, going through the motions.

"Well..." He takes a deep breath. "I'm probably gonna regret this, but here I go..."

What can be _so_ terrible, he thinks I'll be mad when I hear it?

"All of us were hanging out in the school's rear parking lot. Sunset ran past us and confronted Wallflower, and Wallflower admitted she hated Sunset. She tried to get back at Sunset by erasing everyone's good memories, but then..." He pauses. "You're _absolutely_ sure you won't flip out?"

Honestly, I'm more likely to flip out at his stalling. "Just tell me!"

He sighs. "Then, she said she wanted to erase _all_ of Sunset's friends' memories of high school. Everything that happened, everyone they've met... My memories of you..."

Okay... I can see why he was concerned. "So... let me get this straight," I say, trying to hide the anger in my voice. "To teach Sunset a lesson in... not being nice _specifically_ to her, Wallflower made everybody forget she was nice, _then_ threatened to destroy her friends' lives..."

"If Sunset hadn't jumped in the way of the stone's magic beam, that's exactly what would've happened."

She did... what? "You mean she sacrificed her own memories?"

He nods. "That sacrifice is all it took for us to believe her. Anybody who goes _that_ far to protect us, we'd _gladly_ call our friend. Then we all ponied up and destroyed the stone."

 _"Then_ you forgave her... What the hell does somebody have to do to _not_ earn our forgiveness?!" I angrily say

"Now, Liv, you promised you wouldn't get mad."

"That was before I learned she almost ruined your lives! Before she tried to take you away from me! Of _course_ I'm gonna get mad!" Flare means _everything_ to me. If he forgot who I was... Gosh, I don't even want to _think_ about how devastated I would be.

"W-Well, look..." he stammers.

"For _her_ sake, you better _hope_ I don't see her anytime soon!"

"Okay, okay. We'll keep her away from you for a while."

"Good." He might've convinced me to forgive Juniper right away, but I don't know if I'll _ever_ forgive Wallflower.

"So, uh... How'd your meeting with Sunset go?"

"It went better than I expected. It was recorded on Twilight's drone."

"The drone was recording?"

"When Sunset suspected Wallflower was behind this, she knew her memory of the encounter would likely be erased if she was right."

"So she did a Doc Who thing?"

"Uh-huh. Speaking of, did you know Trixie watches that show?"

"I... I did not. I don't know _anything_ about Trixie's interests, aside from doing stage magic and boasting about how great and powerful she is."

"I'm not surprised. Trixie doesn't share her interests with just _anybody."_

"And what makes _you_ so special to her?"

"Don't know. I don't think she meant to tell me." I walk over to the drone and pick up the controller. I sit down, then rewind the footage to the beginning and start playing.

 _"That's my garden,"_ recorded Wallflower says. _"Well, the school's garden, technically..."_

"This was right before I walked in," I say.

"Wait..." Flare says. _"Now_ I know why her name sounds familiar!"

"You do?" I ask.

"There was this girl in 1st grade with green hair that always kept to herself. Nobody paid her any mind. That was Wallflower! I sat behind her for half the year, and only realized this was the same girl when I saw her sitting from behind just now. I wouldn't be surprised if everybody who's ever had her as a classmate completely forgot about her."

"I wish _I_ could've been as invisible as her after my accident..."

"If you were _that_ invisible, we never would've met."

"That's true."

There's a knock on the classroom door, then it opens.

 _"Um... He-Hello?"_ my recorded self says off-screen

Sunset looks to the right. _"Olivia? What are you doing here?"_

 _"I... I, uh... I... thought about what you s-said over the weekend. A couple of my... m-memories don't make sense, and you're in some of the pics on my phone. Even though I'm... practically_ _ **petrified**_ _to be around you..."_

Sunset sneaks up to Wallflower.

"I _still_ can't believe you actually overcame your fear."

"After you got mad this morning, I figured I _had_ to."

"I'm _really_ sorry about that."

"It's all in the past. I'd rather forget everything that happened over the last couple days."

 _"Wait..."_ Trixie asks. _"Who are you, again?"_

Wallflower walks to the computer next to her and picks up the photo. From this angle, I still can't tell what it's a picture of.

 _"You don't see me fitting in"_

He rests his head in his hands and sighs. "Of course... Why _not?!"_

"Oh, right... Did I forget to mention she started singing?"

"Can we skip this? Please?"

I sigh, then pause the video and seek ahead. "While she was busy with her song, Sunset started looking through her backpack for the Memory Stone."

He looks at the screen. "What were _you_ looking for at the computer?"

"I was trying to find where the music was coming from."

"Any luck?"

"Nope. It came from Wallflower, but I didn't see her do anything to start it."

I start the video again.

 _"...otten  
Until the end of time"_

Wallflower walks behind the counter and out of frame.

 _"Hey! What are you doing?"_

Both return to in front of the camera, and Wallflower yanks her backpack away from Sunset.

 _"What did I do to you?!"_ Sunset says. _"Honestly, I don't even_ _ **know**_ _you!"_

 _"Exactly! You had everyone fooled, but now they know you're still... the Biggest Meanie!"_

"That... doesn't explain anything."

"I thought the same. 'You don't know me, which is why I ruined your life.'"

 _"Let's just..."_ Wallflower pulls out the Memory Stone. _"..._ _ **forget**_ _this ever happened!"_ It glows green.

 _"Don't erase –"_

There's a flash of light. After a few seconds, it fades away and Wallflower is gone. Sunset looks around in a daze.

Out of frame, Trixie sighs. _"What was I saying? I'm sure it was something brilliant. Also,"_ she says with a gasp, _"how is it already 3:00?"_

Sunset looks to her left. _"Olivia? When did_ _ **you**_ _get here?"_

 _"Oh.. I-I, uh..."_ Wow, you can really hear the panic in my voice. _"Sorry! Sorry! Wrong room! I-I'll just... I gotta go."_ There's a short pause. _"What the... Locked?! No no no no!"_ I hear the doorknob jiggle. _"I_ _ **can't**_ _be locked in here with_ _ **her!**_ _"_

 _"Calm down, Frost,"_ Trixie says.

 _"Don't tell me to calm down, Lulamoon! You_ _ **know**_ _how she ruined my life!"_

"When exactly did you decide to confront Sunset?" Flare asks.

"Last night."

"So why were you trying to get away from her?"

"I still had to work up the nerve to go through with it. Being pretty much thrown into the room with her, of _course_ I'm gonna freak out."

"That makes sense."

 _"So, uh... Su-Sunset Shimmer... What... What did you mean when you said someone erased our memories?"_

 _"Remember the drawing of the Memory Stone I showed you over the weekend?"_ Sunset walks left and out of frame. _"Somebody used the Stone to erase everyone's memories of me being nice. We need to figure out who, but we only have a few hours until it'll be too late to restore them."_

"Too late?" Flare asks.

"Apparently the Memory Stone only holds onto memories for a few days before they're permanently deleted."

 _"I wrote myself a note!"_ recorded Sunset says. _"'Check the video'."_

The camera tilts sideways. This was when she picked up the drone.

 _"Yes!"_ She sets it down. _"It's been recording this whole time!"_

The video ends.

"There's one thing I'm kinda curious about," I say as I set the controller down.

"What's that?"

"The memory of yours Sunset tried to find. Of all the memories of you two, she chose that one, _and_ she was panicking when she couldn't find it."

"Hmm... That's a good question. I would've expected her to look for the Battle of the Bands. That had a greater impact on me than dating her. I'll ask her next time I see her."

It sounds like she might still have feelings for him, even though she's dating Flash now. Maybe it's because Flare was the one who broke up with her, and she never completely got over it. I know the feeling, actually. When Flare broke up with me last year, I still liked him. I pushed those feelings aside when we reunited and I knew we couldn't go back to what we had so soon. Then those two started dating, and my feelings started to resurface. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, though I don't think they meant breaking up would make you like him more. That sounds more like playing hard to get.

Eh, it doesn't matter. Flare and I got back together eventually, and I couldn't be happier. Well, I _could,_ but that's at least a couple years away.

Will I forgive Wallflower for what she did eventually? Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell.


End file.
